Recommended: Estafest – “Bayachrimae”

Estafest cooks up an entierly different kind of serenity.  Their mix of Nordic jazz, folk and chamber generates a kind of tranquility that is far more active and involved than your typical work that gets tagged as ambient.  The main driver of this quality are the thoughtful interactions between the quartet members.  No matter how volatile a series of expressions may become, the contemplative nature of the decisions made as they advance their dialog bleeds through into the sound, and it’s why when “Cookies” lays down some blues or when the heat gets turned up on “Taborn” or melodic lines go tumbling along on “Gimpy” or how they dissolve completely into “Impro 1013,” there hangs in the air a strong suggestion of tranquility.

Their 2014 release Eno Supo was as lovely as it gets, and the quartet’s new recording Bayachrimae builds on that foundation with songs that express even more distinct personalities.  And most frequently to emerge are those most peaceful, with tracks like “Polderlucht,” “Floating,” and the two-part suite “Bayachrimae” displaying the potency of the quartet’s approach when the contemplative elements are the focus rather than the residue.

The beauty of Bayachrimae is equal to that of its predecessor, and gets there by revealing an even greater depth of personality.

Your album personnel:  Anton Goudsmit (guitar), Mete Erker (tenor & soprano saxophones), Jeroen van Vliet (piano) and Oene van Geel (viola, cajon).

Released on BMC Records.

Music from Amsterdam.

Available at:  Amazon | eMusic